Effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on pain and quality of life of patients with chronic low back pain.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recovery of patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) is depended on several physical and psychological factors. Therefore, the authors aimed to examine the efficacy of mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) as a mind-body intervention on quality of life and pain severity of female patients with nonspecific chronic LBP (NSCLBP). METHODS: Eighty-eight patients diagnosed as NSCLBP by physician and randomly assigned to experimental (MBSR+ usual medical care) and the control group (usual medical care only). The subjects assessed in 3 times frames; before, after and 4 weeks after intervention by Mac Gil pain and standard brief quality of life scales. Data obtained from the final sample analyzed by ANCOVA using SPSS software. RESULTS: The findings showed MBSR was effective in reduction of pain severity and the patients who practiced 8 sessions meditation reported significantly lower pain than patients who only received usual medical care. There was a significant effect of the between subject factor group (F [1, 45] = 16.45, P < 0.001) and (F [1, 45] = 21.51, P < 0.001) for physical quality of life and (F [1, 45] = 13.80, P < 0.001) and (F [1, 45] = 25.07, P < 0.001) mental quality of life respectively. CONCLUSION: MBSR as a mind-body therapy including body scan, sitting and walking meditation was effective intervention on reduction of pain severity and improvement of physical and mental quality of life of female patients with NSCLBP.

Implementing Benson's Relaxation Training in Hemodialysis Patients: Changes in Perceived Stress, Anxiety, and Depression.

BACKGROUND: Hemodialysis patients usually experience high levels of psychological stress, anxiety, and depression. Reducing these matters in patients provides more psychological resources to cope with their physical situation. AIM: The present study aimed to explore the efficacy of Benson's relaxation technique for stress, anxiety, and depression of patients with hemodialysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty hemodialysis patients were selected from two hospitals as an intervention and control groups. Then Benson relaxation training was implemented in the intervention group for 15 min twice a day during 4 weeks. The patients were assessed by depression, anxiety, and stress scale; which was completed before and after the intervention. RESULTS: There were significant differences between stress and anxiety levels in case group before and after intervention (P > 0.001) and there is no meaningful difference between the mean of depression value in case group before and after intervention (P > 0.22). CONCLUSION: Instructing Benson's relaxation technique is accompanied by reducing stress and anxiety level of hemodialysis patients. Reducing stress and anxiety levels can provide more calmness for the patients so that pursuing medical therapy would be accompanied with more tranquility. Authors have suggested to improve and prevent the patients' psychological problems as well as other chronic disorders by applying this practice.

Depression and health related quality of life in breast cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of depression in women with breast cancer and relate it to their health-related quality of life. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Iran between January and December 2009, and comprised 60 women with breast cancer with a mean age of 43.8 +/- 47.12 years. In order to assess the health-related quality of life, the study used the parameters of the Iranian version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy for Breast Cancer. To identify expressive symptoms, the Beck Depression Inventory was used. General linear model regression and SPSS 14 were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Significant differences in the prevalence of depression between treatment types was found. The presence of depression was significantly correlated with poorer overall health-related quality of life and the four subscales of the protocol. The patients reported statistically significant effects of depression in the overall category (p= 0.001). Participants with depression were more likely to have a poorer overall health-related quality of life, the exception being the social/family well-being subscale. CONCLUSIONS: Depression affects health-related quality of life in breast cancer patients. Although further studies are necessary to confirm our findings, but our results emphasise the necessity for better mental health strategies for such patients.

Quality of life and depression in caregivers of patients with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Caregivers have a considerable role in caring and recovery of cancer patients. They may experience psychological problems such as depression, anxiety and decreases in quality of life (QOL). Present study aimed to explore depression and quality of life and their relationship among care givers of patients with breast cancer . METHODS: In this cross sectional study, enrolled 63 care givers of women with breast cancer attending IMKH hospital in Iran as outpatients during 2009-2010. In order to assess the QOL and depression, we used Caregiver QOL Index-Cancer (CQOL-C) and Beck Depression Inventory respectively. RESULTS: We found depression has strong negative correlation with QOL and participants with depression were more likely to have a poorer overall QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Depression has some effects on QOL of breast cancer patients' care givers. Assistance and giving information through education and intervention from healthcare professionals is the key of improve the ability of caregivers to enhance their QOL.

Daily versus intermittent iron supplementation in pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was compare of daily iron supplementation in three time frames- daily, weekly and three time weekly supplementation in preventing anemia in healthy pregnant women. METHOD: The present study was a prospective simply randomized clinical trial. During January 2006- January 2008, 150 healthy pregnant women without anemia, in their 16th week of pregnancy were randomly allocated into three equal groups. The first group (n = 50) received a 50 mg-ferrous sulfate tablet daily, second group (n = 50) received a 50 mg-ferrous sulfate tablet three times a week, and the third group (n = 50) received two 50 mg-ferrous sulfate tablets (100 mg) weekly, respectively for 12 consecutive weeks. Serum hemoglobin, ferritin, and iron were measured before and after the supplementation. Paired t and ANOVA tests were used as appropriated. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the pre- and post-treatment hemoglobin levels with iron supplementation in the three group (P = 0.518, P = 0.276, respectively). The mean serum iron level before and after treatment with iron supplementation in the three groups was not statistically significant (P = 0.962, P = 0.970, respectively). Although the mean serum ferritin level before and after treatment with iron supplementation was statistically significant in the three groups, no significant differences were found comparing the three groups (P = 0.827, P = 0.635 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This results suggested, three times a week or weekly iron supplementation is as effective as daily supplementation for healthy pregnant women without anemia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN: IRCT201101093820N1.